


Green Princess and Black Knight

by Love_Psycho



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Children, F/M, Fluff, Forgotten First Meeting, Friendship, Gen, Gift Fic, Gift for my Bestie, Romance, Spoilers after ch48 and 64
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-12
Updated: 2015-06-12
Packaged: 2018-04-04 02:25:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4122519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Love_Psycho/pseuds/Love_Psycho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Memory is a fickle thing, but sometimes that's for the better. Sometimes it allows for a pleasant surprise and a revival of a dream.</p>
<p>A forgotten meeting, a young knight, and a little princess with a garden kingdom. Sometimes it's the smallest of things that are the most important.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Green Princess and Black Knight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Gloomiebunny009](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gloomiebunny009/gifts).



> The inspiration just hit me thanks to another fic I read and it came out remarkably fast - just finished fixing it up this morning. I figured Shiemi would work as the girl, but for the boy I settled on Renzo for two reasons.
> 
> First is that Renzo is one of my favs. Second is that GB likes the Renzo/Shiemi pairing.
> 
> Since Glooomiebunny009 has been working so hard on not just one big epic fic, but _two _of them plus plenty of other fics, as well as still editing and revamping _Memories of You _(Look out for that if you are fans of that fic! Hoping to have it up on AO3 by the end of the year!) she deserves a gift for all her hard work.____
> 
> ____Not to mention she's my best friend despite the distance so just for that I need to show appreciation!_ _ _ _
> 
> ____I hope you enjoy this little one-shot. Consider it to the left of canon._ _ _ _

When Renzō was very little he really did want to be an Exorcist. He wanted to save people and be a Knight and shield against hostile demons.

That time has long since past. Lines have blurred and Renzō finds the moral complexities of things that shade things _grey_ much more fascinating. A Spy is much more fun than a Knight, not having to concern themselves with doing what's _right_.

But sometimes, sometimes just mind and mostly in dreams, Renzō remembers wanting such a clear cut life and career. Remembers the feelings that caused such a thing to spring up.

Remembers the meeting that was the greatest inspiration.

* * *

The exact reason Renzō was brought to True Cross Academy is unknown to him. He's too young to care, so while the adults talk about _important_ _things_ , he goes exploring. Curious about this place that churns out exorcists and his elder brothers go to.

Renzō wanders the hallways, gets cooed over by teenage girls wondering who this cute little boy is – he likes the attention, not getting it often, and they don't smell bad like his brothers and father so he tolerates it – and gets hopelessly lost.

So lost he wonders if he somehow left the campus.

He's on a bridge, very high up and very long. Sure he could turn back, but Renzō's still curious so he continues forward. He can see a house ahead, with many green trees and plants surrounding it, and it's unusual enough to draw his attention.

Once he reaches the house, Renzō stops at the foot of the stairs and stares upwards. The house is a sprawling place to his eyes, something he's never seen before. Amazing and cool. He might have gone up to the front door and knocked, except he can see another path that leads to an iron gate and the fancy look of it draws him up to it.

Peering through the iron bars, Renzō is amazed at what he sees. A great garden is in front of him, with so many pretty plants and the scent of growing things. In awe, Renzō manages to push open the gate with a small screech and wander inside.

He spends some time just looking around, enjoying the flowers and other plants. He plays a game in his head, imaging he's in some dangerous demon's garden and he's hunting it, while also seeing what plants he knows. A few stand out, Renzō remembering seeing them in Jū-nii and Mamushi-neesan's textbooks at times and knowing they are for demon hunting.

“Oh!”

A small voice has him whirling and...

It's a little girl his age, with wide green eyes and bright hair. She's wearing a very pretty kimono, but is barefoot and stands with her hands over her mouth.

Renzō stares. She's utterly adorable to his young eyes, pretty as a princess. “Um...hi?”

The girl steps forward, staring at him with wide eyes. “Are...are you a demon?”

Renzō blinks. Demon? Him? “No...why do you ask?”

The girl peers at him for a long moment, then smiles. “So you aren't a demon! Sorry, Baachan says demons appear pretty to trick people! So I thought you might be a demon silly me! I know the gate's warded.”

Renzō can feel a flush growing on his cheeks. Pretty? Him?

“Is...is this your garden?” Renzō asks, looking at the nearest garden patch.

“Hm hm.” The girl shakes her head. “It's my Baachan's, but I get to help...it's the only thing I can do really.”

“What do you mean?”

At that moment the girl is taken over by a coughing fit. Renzō starts at the harsh sound, then moves his hands in an awkward fashion. “Aaaah...are you okay?”

“I—I'm fi-fine.” She manages to get out between coughs.

Still worried, Renzō looks around and spots a stone bench. Carefully, Renzō steers the girl over to it and sits her down there, taking a seat beside her himself. “You sure?”

“Yes.” The little girl smiles at him, her coughing fits finally done. “It just happens sometimes. Baachan and Kaa-san say I'm just weak. Well, my body is. That's why I can't really leave the house. But Baachan let's me help out in the garden!”

“Is it just your mother and grandmother here?” Renzō asks, a bit of worry stirring in him. This one girl, all on her own...something doesn't sit well with himself there.

“Yes. But now there's you too! Where are you from?”

“Kyoto.” Renzō answers honestly.

The girl sparkles at that. “Kyoto? Really? What's it like?”

The two children speak for some time, discussing what they like, where they live, and things they don't even like. Sometime later, Renzō has been dragged into helping the girl – he still doesn't know her name – to water the plants and do some weeding, which is what she originally came out to do.

As this happens, the topic of exorcists come up.

“I could never do it.” The girl insists. “I'm too weak.”

Privately Renzō knows she's got a point. She had two more coughing fits already and she looks pale despite saying she goes out often to the garden.

“Maybe you'll get stronger when you grow up. You'll be like...like...” Renzō lands on the bucket of weeds that he's slowly filling. “Like a weed!”

“A weed?” The girl looks at his skeptically.

“Yeah. You can never really defeat weeds, they always come back right?”

The girl consider it all, then smiles. “I like that. Weeds. Yes, weeds are amazing...”

Renzō flushes at her smile. She really is an adorable child. And as pretty as a little princess.

“But...even if you don't, I'm going to be an exorcist. A Knight like the rest of my family!” Renzō gestures widely, as if to prove his point. “So if you get in trouble I can protect you!” _'Just like a princess...'_ He thinks privately. _'A green-eyed princess.'_

“I like that too! You'll make a wonderful Knight!” The girl claps her hands, ignorant to Renzō's blush. “And if you get hurt, I can help. Baachan and Kaasan are teaching me how to heal with plants. Like Sancho-san!”

She points at a plant, which is actually aloe. Renzō looks at it, but doesn't know it himself or it's proper name so just accepts the name of Sancho-san.

“It's good for burns and other stuff!” She burbles cheerfully. Then she points at another plant and talks out it too.

“That's cool!” Renzō does think it's cool, since he doesn't think he could remember all the stuff the green-eyed girl is saying about plants. Most of it flies over his head except for vague bits and pieces anyways.

“Oh?” A voice stops the girl's chatter. “Who is this Shiemi-chan?”

“Aah!” The girl – Shiemi apparently – whirls around and beams at the small old lady who has approached them. “Baachan!”

Shiemi's grandmother smiles at her granddaughter, listening to her babble about her new friend.

“You must be the young Shima boy. Your family has been looking for you for some time.” She says to him softly.

“Ah...didn't mean to make them worry just got lost...very lost...”

“This place is very big but merely got lost hm?” The old woman seems to be considering something. “Aah well, you are perfectly safe here and I must thank you for spending time with my granddaughter. Speaking of, Shiemi, it's time for your medicine.”

“Oh right!” Shiemi turns to Renzō and beams up at him. “It was nice meeting you and I hope to see you again!”

She pads off to get her medicine, leaving Renzō alone with her grandmother.

“What's strange about how I got here?” Renzō asks.

The old lady blinks and is shaken out of her thoughts. “Hm? Oh, you noticed. What a bright boy you are. Well, this place is protected after all and supposed to be cut-off from the rest of the school. How you got here is a mystery in that regard.”

Renzō is shocked by that and it stays in his mind for quite some time, even as he's drawn into gardening for a bit with Shiemi's grandmother while he waits for his father to come. Even after his father comes and gets him, apologizing for the intrusion on his son's behalf despite the old lady's reassurance in that regard.

Renzō never figures anything out in that regard, except for thinking that maybe it means something about his and Shiemi's meeting. Something special.

But ultimately it's time for Renzō to leave and his father escorts him out of the garden without him being able to say goodbye to Shiemi. Since it's late, Renzō gets sleepy and ends up being carried home by his father.

With green-eyes following him into his sleep.

When he wakes up, it's with the drive to be an amazing Knight; so amazing the green-eyed princess will never have to fear demons.

* * *

Renzō wakes up, slowly turning over to look at Konekomaru and smile at his tiny childhood friend.

Then he frowns in thought.

It's been so long since the encounter in that enchanted garden, that Renzō can't remember everything there. Can't remember much about the girl either, except for her bright green eyes. Time has worn the memory's edges and blurred recollection. Making it so he doesn't even remember how or when he exactly met the girl in the garden. If it was in Kyōto or someplace else.

_'I wonder what happened to that girl.'_ Renzō sits up and stretches, then gets out of bed. He needs to go for his now daily morning run after all.

Renzō then smiles.

_'Well, wherever she is, I'm sure she's fine.'_ He decides. No way such a bright, cheerful girl could be anything but.

As he gets dressed a thought occurs to him. _'You know...that girl's probably my first love.'_ He wonders at that. Renzō's never considered that before, but today for some reason it finally clicks.

Finally dressed, Renzō heads out. After some thought, he steers his path away from Ryūji's normal route, deciding to avoid his other friend right now. Rather be just with his own thoughts after all.

As he jogs, he spots a bit of bright colour and for a moment is taken back in time.

“Ah! Shima-kun!” Shiemi beams at him, all sunshine and flowers; in fact, she's carrying some flowers. “Good morning!”

“Good morning!” Renzō slows down and stops beside Shiemi. “What are you doing here, Moriyama-chan?”

“Aah...well...I was planning on visiting my Baachan's grave...” Shiemi admits, her expression dampening a bit. “So I brought some flowers from her garden that came out extra nice.”

“Really? Do you mind if I come with you? I won't bother you if you want privacy...” Renzō offers, wondering it at. _'Never mind, Shiemi's too sweet to make upset.'_

“That would be nice!” Shiemi smiles up at Renzō. “Thank you Shima-kun. I've never been there alone and it was only once beside.” She fishes out a piece of paper and shows it to Renzō, revealing directions written on it by a neat hand.

“Well, I've never been there either.” Renzō grins. “No reason to after all.”

“That's right...any graves for your family would be in Kyōto.”

“Yeah...actually it's close by to the temple. Don't go there if I'm not dragged.” Renzō admits.

“Why not? Don't you have relatives buried there?”

“Yes.” Renzō pauses and considers but Shiemi's looking up at him so sweetly that he answers honestly. “Never met anyone before they were buried there though so I don't feel like I should be there. They are basically strangers to me no matter what my family says.”

“Aah...you know that makes sense. I was close to my Baachan but you weren't close to them at all.” Shiemi starts walking and Renzō follows casually behind. “But! Maybe I can introduce you to my grandmother!” She smiles up at Renzō. “I'm sure she'll love to meet a friend of mine!”

Renzō feels a blush rising on his cheeks and turns his head away awkwardly. “Well...you know, I don't think I'd mind.”

“That's wonderful!” Shiemi burbles and for a moment Renzō is struck by her eyes and the scent of the flowers and...

Renzō feels a slow smile spread across his face. “Well, she's not a stranger...” He murmurs.

“Hm? What did you say?” Shiemi peers curiously at Renzō.

“Ah, it's nothing. So, what was your grandmother like?”

“Well, she loved gardening and...”

As Shiemi's happy voice fills his ear, Renzō can't help but laugh privately about the coincidence. Not just in the past, but today.

The dream, his revelation, and meeting Shiemi just now.

_'My first love...eh. You really did become strong like a weed...'_ Renzō mood briefly sours. _'But I never became a Knight...'_ It's a strange regret that, since Renzō's actually quite happy in his current position. But at the same time, it feels like a betrayal of a good memory.

The sun is shining brightly as they finally reach Shiemi's grandmother's grave and Shiemi sets to introducing Renzō to her after laying the flowers on her grave and lighting the incense.

“This is my friend Shima Renzō!” Shiemi says happily. “He's a good guy and is going to be a wonderful exorcist! He's training to be a Knight and oh! A Tamer too like me!”

Renzō blinks and stares at Shiemi...

And suddenly it's like he's still a Knight and she's a Princess.

A _b_ _lack_ knight perhaps, but still a good one to Shiemi and perhaps...

...perhaps that's all that's needed.


End file.
